Yes indeed, it is the next chapter. Probably another short one but oh well. I really wanted to update before I left. Yes, I am leaving for Mexico soon along with my school's Spanish Club so I won't be able to update next weekend. Don't cry too hard. Pfft.

Disclaimer: With how broke I am after buying the tickets, do you honestly think I'd be able to afford to get Kingdom Hearts. I don't think so.

Now in a computer near you...

Chapter Fourteen: How do you sleep in here?

–My POV–

My senses slowly returned to me and the numbness of my body suddenly wore off, reminding me that I had needles in my veins and a slice down my back.

Next my hearing came back and I was aware of the beeping of the monitors hooked to me and the whimpering of other children.

Then my sense of smell and taste were awakened and I felt the oxygen flowing up my nose. God I hated that thing. And I desperately needed to wet my mouth because it felt like I had stuffed it full of cotton balls.

Lastly, my sight returned. I opened my eyes to look at my surroundings and first noticed that it was dark and a curtain formed the barriers of my cubicle meaning that I was not in a private room. The monitor was blinking and the colorful lines were either in plateaus or constant zigzags that showed I was still alive.

There was a TV with a VCR and a rocking chair over by a window bed in which a redhead was resting peacefully, his head leaned against his shoulder in a position that looked uncomfortable to me. I couldn't help smiling at the soft breathing and gradual rises and falls of his strong chest.

"Axel...?" He was awake in a second from the soft murmur. He crossed the small cubicle in two steps and leaned over the railing to gently grasp my hand.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm fine...for now," I replied in a voice that was raspy and weak. It was not at all like my normal voice. "Where am I?"

"Some joint recovery room, I don't know."

"No ICU, huh?" I was proud of myself for that.

He shook his head and then leaned down closer to me. "But you see that?" He pointed a finger up at the line that represented my heart. It was yellow. I was used to seeing it in a constant up-down motion but now it went up, down, leveled off, and then went up again a second later. "That almost got you sent into Intensive Care. They couldn't figure out how your heart could only be beating half as fast."

"I only have half a heart," I whispered, realizing how close I had come to causing chaos.

He nodded. "But it's going strong and so they put you in here."

I grinned at him happily. "Bow down to the Master of Battling the Horrors of Hospitals. I can still do it and I only have half a heart now."

He lowered his head in a bow to me and then was silent for a minute before he spoke again.

"So...you're OK, right? No severe pain?" I shook my head. "Just the usual?" A nod. "Tired?" Another nod, sheepish this time. "That's fine but peaceful sleep comes with a price. Wouldn't want me coming in with a trumpet to wake you up now would you, soldier?" He put his hand to his face as if holding said horn and did a horrible imitation of a fanfare. I almost laughed but remembered that the action would cause me pain.

"Name your price," I stated in a low negotiator's voice.

"One kiss per hour."

"Hmm, better give you six in advance then...just in case. You drive a hard bargain." He smirked as he leaned down and our lips touched in a chaste kiss which then grew into five more before my monitor started beeping and the white line leveled off. Axel snickered as I drew in several deep breaths to shut it up. "You're supposed to breathe. Got it memorized?"

"I had that memorized long before you were here." I yawned shortly after that comment and then drifted into Sleep's arms.

–Four Hours Later–

My brain finally registered that something had woke me up and a few sluggish seconds after that, I recognized it as a scream. I grimaced at the light shining through the curtain and squeaked in pain when my back gave a painful spasm. I quickly pressed the button on my pain pump for morphine before I decided to target the source of that hideous noise.

Axel was leaning on the wall near the curtain and glaring at something. I guess it was the noise. He looked about ready to roast the kid that was making it.

I tried to call him but what came out was only a groan. It still caught his attention and then I had to pry my dry, sticky lips open to speak.

"What the heck is going on?"

"Some kid with a broken leg doesn't like his treatment."

Another girly shriek came from across the room and, amusingly, a boy's voice followed, "It feels like there's a pencil sticking through my leg!"

I grit my teeth and Axel bent closer to hear me growl, "It feels like there's a knife carving at my back, what does he have to cry about? If he wants to know real pain, we'll resurrect Xaldin for two minutes so he can experience a lance sticking through him."

Axel chuckled at this and brushed some hair out of my face. "C'mon. One of us has to be sympathetic toward this kid or we'll both have a hand in his doom."

"How about I just maul him with my atom gun?"

"Nope, sorry, can't let you do that."

Another scream. "Can I at least throw the telephone at him?"

He shook his head. "Not even the telephone. But you'll be happy to know that they're cleaning out a room especially for you." I noticed he didn't look too pleased, though. I raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

He sighed and ran a hand through his blazing hair. "Uhm...they, uh, just came in and told me that...they d-didn't finish the whole procedure the first time. They were going to do it today if you regained enough blood but the doctor was on call and I guess there was a big wreck..."

"Well, that just means I can eat a popsicle now, I'm hungry." I let a small smile cross my lips.

He grinned. "There ya go, Spitfire." I smiled, too.

"So when are they going to do the surgery?"

"In five days, I think." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sounds fine to me. Could you get me a popsicle?"

He rolled his eyes mockingly. "What kind?"

"Green or orange."

"Can I have a kiss?" he asked. I took a breath to give him his options for what kind but he pointed a finger at me and whispered, "If you say that loud enough for anyone to hear, I will slap you."

I smiled but kissed him lightly before he stepped out of the curtain. I don't remember eating that popsicle. Maybe I did in between naps or maybe Axel ate it for me.

–Next Day–

When I woke up, it was because nurses were unhooking wires and picking things up. I looked to the nearest nurse who quickly explained, "We're moving you to a new room."

"Hooray!" I was pretty happy but it didn't sound that way.

It didn't take that long and soon Axel and I were settled into a room with only one other person. I liked her because she was quiet even though her surgery had been similar to mine as I later found out.

Axel heaved a sigh and flopped down on the window bed. He could be tired now that he had a temporary heart. "Aww, you're not tired, are ya, Red?"

"Yes, I am," he stated bluntly. "Between nurses barging in every two hours for vitals, kids screaming, and your monitors going off...how do you sleep in here?"

"Pump yourself full of morphine," I declared, lifting the hand with the button for my pump.

"Want to give me some?"

"Heck no! You have to take care of me, I can't put you to sleep! Who's gonna get me popsicles?"

He chuckled and pulled his lanky form up to come look down on me. "It's fun to watch you sleep, though. You just get into a deep slumber and then your monitor starts to beep. And even though you're asleep, your brain is used to it so it tells you to take a deep breath."

He reached down and touched my face. "You know, your can have dirty hair, dark circles under your eyes, and tubes everywhere but you're still hot."

"Thanks, Axel, I really wanted to know how crappy I look."

"That's not what I meant! I said you were hot!"

"Whatever you say. I think it's time to go to sleep again."

"Good idea. Goodnight."

I waited until he made his way over to the window bed and the reminded him, "It's morning."

He paused in his stretching.

"Shut up."

I was going to wait to put in the fluff until two chapters from now but I decided that I missed it enough to put a little in this chapter. Once again, all of the things that happened in this chapter were based on real-life experiences.

Remember, I won't update next weekend since I will just be getting back from Mexico. I will be really tired but maybe if you review and encourage me, I will update between naps. What do you say? Deal?

Review Please!!

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